Bioaccumulation and bioavailability studies of silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles in aquaculture products

Abstract

Silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles are commonly used in industry, can be emitted into the environment, interact with different organisms, and therefore they can be considered emergent contaminants. This doctoral thesis focuses on the bioaccumulation and bioavailability studies of these materials in some of the most important aquaculture species of the Atlantic area, including seaweed, mussels, and turbot. Different methodologies for silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles extraction from the aquaculture matrices were used and developed. They were also applied to the study of the presence of nanoparticles in marine samples from Ireland, France and UK. Furthermore, the potential release of nanoparticles from the food matrix to the systemic circulation and the intestinal epithelial cells was assessed after simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestions and transport through Caco-2 cells by SP-ICP-MS and SC-ICP-MS.